Dear Colleagues: The IEEE Power & Energy Society (PES) and the IEEE Industry Applications Society (IAS) invite you to submit a proposal to serve as host of the IEEE PES/IAS PowerAfrica Conference 2018. The proposal requirements are described in more detail below, but each proposal should contain suggested conference dates in 2018, descriptions of the proposed venue(s), and information about the chapter including descriptions of the volunteers proposed to serve as key members of the local conference organizing sub-committees, and agreements regarding specific PowerAfrica Conference hosting requirements.
ABOUT THIS CONFERENCE This conference sponsored by IEEE s Power & Energy and Industry Applications Societies aim to provide a premier platform for electrical engineers, investors, leaders in the power industry, and scientists in universities and research centers to present their works and share experiences and ideas in the area of power and energy engineering with experts, practitioners and scholars from around the world, but specifically the African continent. Attendees are provided with an unparalleled opportunity to interface with experts from all related fields including, but not limited to, power generation, transmission and distribution; smart grid technologies; asset management; skills development; project financing; rural electrification; energy security. The conference will be unique in addressing electrification challenges through a practical more than academic approach. The PowerAfrica Conference has been held at the following locations: 2007 Johannesburg, South Africa, July 16-20 2012 Johannesburg, South Africa, July 9-13 2016 Livingston, Zambia, June 28 July 3 2017 Acura, Ghana, June 25-30 A Review of the Focus/Typical Content of PowerAfrica Conference Programs Premier Practical Conference with Conference Publications in IEEE xxx (To be determined) We intend for this PowerAfrica Conference to be very practical in nature, with attendees leaving empowered to act on experiences and ideas shared. Publications for this conference are yet to be defined. PowerAfrica Conference Program Components In planning a PowerAfrica Conference technical program day, Conference Organizers would be encouraged to include parallel tracks (3 or so) for paper, panel and/or poster presentations, and working group/other meetings as suitable. Some presentations and panels could also be targeted towards practical applications and experiences of persons actively working in the Power & Energy sector. PowerAfrica Conference programs should also include a suite of Power & Energy tutorials - which could be offered prior to or following the core of the meeting - in addition to the paper and panel sessions. PowerAfrica Conference programs should also typically include some IEEE Student activities, Young Professionals activities, and Women in Power (WiP) activities all of which would be actively supported by PES/IAS. Finally, Conference Organizers would also be encouraged to arrange technical tours particularly those that highlight the local industry. In summary, PowerAfrica conferences should be an opportunity for Academics, Sector Researchers, Practicing Engineers, Authorities and all others to come together, network and share and exchange ideas regarding cutting-edge industry content. 2
ABOUT THIS PROPOSAL/REQUIREMENTS The following are the required components of all proposals submitted. Each proposal should include, at minimum: 1. Proposed Host (Hosting Entity) Name and describe the IEEE-related or non-ieee-affiliated, not-for-profit organization that will host the subject conference in the role of the official Host. If the proposer is not affiliated with IEEE, please provide: Evidence of not-for-profit status Description of previous experiences regarding similarly-situated conferences (if any) Plans (if any) to partner with or establish a local PES/IAS chapter If the proposer is an IEEE or IEEE PES/IAS affiliate group (e.g. chapter), please provide the following additional information: A listing of IEEE-affiliated meetings that the chapter has previously hosted (if any) Status and activity of the group Evidence of demonstrated interest in PES/IAS Conferences 2. Listing of Volunteer Members of Proposed Conference Leadership Team Propose conference leaders for the sub-committees below and additional sub-committees that would result in a successful PowerAfrica Conference, including a marketing/communication sub-committee. Please include all IEEE/PES/IAS affiliations. Conference Chair Conference Co-Chair optional Industry Vice-Chair Information Contact - optional Conference Finance Chair Conference Secretary Technical Program Chair Publications Chair All recommended committee chairs must include a resume that shows past leadership, a letter of recommendation and why you want to host. Sub-committee leaders --- Name and biographical information related to the person who will lead/co-lead the sub-committee efforts, including any IEEE/PES/IAS affiliations. 3. Proposed Host Location (Cities, States) Name and description of the proposed cities and states including signature features and attractions, weather prediction at time of conference, etc. 4. Proposed Dates for the Conference. Please provide the proposed opening and closing dates of the three-day conference. 5. Proposed Venue Description Name and describe the proposed site of the conference, including: Detailed description of the proposed location, including capacity, number of meeting rooms, prices, and 3
availability (Include estimates/documentation from venues). Description of how venue and site city will meet pre-determined conference needs in specific categories (e.g., large spaces for plenary sessions, receptions, meeting rooms, sleeping rooms, food & beverage needs, move-in and move-out requirements, registration requirements). Description of accessibility (from a global perspective) and expected transportation costs. Description of plans for companion and other extra-curricular activities, such as technical tours and tutorials. Description of plans designed to enhance local community support of the conference, including planned initiatives/partnerships with local community entities (e.g., Chamber of Commerce, Tourism bureaus, etc.). Provide quotes from recommended venues showing the specific dates 6. Proposed Potential Event Management Companies (EMC) See the Conference Management Statement of Work which lists the responsibilities of the EMC below. The EMC needs to include their listing of media contacts in at least 3 major African Countries. 7. Letter of Endorsement of the Conference from the Ministry of Energy and the Ministry of Education in the country. The letter should state the ministry s agreement to inform stakeholders about the conference and their willingness to sponsor the conference. Letter from the Ministry of Tourism to help with Visa Applications of attendees 8. Statement regarding Working Relationship With the PES/IAS Technical Program Committee The Host will be directly and substantially involved in developing the IEEE PES/IAS PowerAfrica Conference technical program. A statement should be included indicating the willingness of the Host to work with the PowerAfrica Conference Technical Program Steering Committee to develop the conference technical program. The Local Organizing Committee (LOC) will appoint a Conference Technical Program Co-Chair who will work closely with the IEEE PES/IAS PowerAfrica Conference Technical Program Steering Committee to help integrate local power engineering and energy strengths and areas of interest. 9. Various Statements Regarding IEEE PES/IAS PowerAfrica Conference Requirements A statement in writing of the willingness of the Host to agree to the following is required: i. To Team with Industry, to secure support and participation from industry and utility leaders. ii. To Ensure PES/IAS Involvement. To ensure regional and other PES/IAS member involvement in planning and supporting the conference. iii. To Ensure Value to All Members, Including Researchers and Practitioners. PES/IAS seeks to ensure that conferences have clear value to all members, not just members conducting active research. In this regard, PowerAfrica should be planned to also incorporate tracks (activities during each block of the day) that focus on all different types of members. For example, there can be paper presentations that can focus on practice as well as different presentation sessions that focus on research (both should be included in the Call for Papers). In addition, there can be industry & utility-based panel sessions, and a suite of tutorials. We envision PowerAfrica as providing an opportunity for all engineers with common interests to come 4
together in some joint sessions, but it should also offer sessions targeted towards the typical interests of scholars, researchers and practicing engineers. iv. To Agree that IEEE owns IP The Host should agree and acknowledge that IEEE is the Owner of all Intellectual Property of the Conference. v. To Show Support for Conference from Local Chapters It is also strongly encouraged that all proposals include information showing support from the local IEEE PES/IAS Chapter or IEEE Section. IEEE prefers to have local IEEE-PES/IAS Chapters heavily involved in the organization of PES/IAS conferences. vi. To Develop and Provide a Pre-Conference Budget It is expected that prior to the final approval of the Host, a preliminary budget will be presented and approved by PES/IAS. The Financial Summary Sheet can be found http://www.ieeepes.org/images/pdf/call-for-proposals/financial-summary-worksheet-one-page.xlsx vii. To Agree to Comply with IEEE and PES/IAS Policies and Requirements The Host should agree to follow IEEE/PES/IAS Polices and Requirements related to IEEE conference organization including: That the conference should be planned and conducted according to IEEE Policies Section 10- Meetings, Conferences, Symposia and Expositions; http://www.ieee.org/documents/ieee_policies.pdf All panel session and keynote presentations must be formatted and presented to the IEEE PES/IAS Executive Office Resource Center in compliance with PES Policies and Rules as articulated on the PES Website http://www.ieee-pes.org/pes-compliant-presentations. A signed copyright form is to be provided to IEEE as soon as the conference concludes, but no later than 15 days after, for possible posting on the PES/IAS websites. That all policies related to conference publications be followed, including those related to Copyright Transfer, Plagiarism, and No Show (i.e. at least one author must attend the conference and present the paper for a paper to qualify for Xplore inclusion). That the conference website will be composed and maintained in compliance with PES Policies and Rules, http://ieee-pes.org/about-pes/webmaster-resources. -IEEE/IEEE PES will host all conference related websites on an IEEE or IEEE PES provided server - Domain names will be purchased and managed by IEEE or IEEE PES That any conference-related videos will adhere to PES Guidelines, http://www.ieeepes.org/pes-compliant-videos. That all contracts will be provided to IEEE Business Services, and that all contracts with a value greater than $25,000 USD will be sent to IEEE Strategic Sourcing for review and execution. That the conference will provide real time access to the registration system to the PES/IAS Office. That the conference will comply with PES/IAS requirements that copies of the Registration Listings be provided to IEEE PES/IAS no later than 30 days after the close of the conference via a means and using a format which will be delineated by the PES/IAS Executive Office. That all Conference Publications will be provided in Xplore-compliant format to IEEE for upload to Xplore no later than 30 days after the conference closes. That the conference itself will be closed compliant within 6 months of the conference end date. 5
ABOUT THE PROPOSAL EVALUATION/SELECTION PROCESS Proposals will be evaluated based on the above-described components. The IEEE PES/IAS PowerAfrica Conference Host/Site Evaluation Committee reserves the right to request additional and clarifying information from individuals who submit proposals. The IEEE PES/IAS PowerAfrica Steering Committee and the 2018 Host/Site Evaluation Sub-Committee will make a site selection recommendation to the IEEE PES President and IEEE PES VP-Meetings. ABOUT THE PROPOSAL SUBMISSION PROCESS Please submit proposals with appropriate supporting documentation by September 1, 2017 to Roseanne Jones (roseanne.jones@ieee.org) of the PES Executive Office Staff. NOTE: Electronic submission via a pdf file is required. In order to ensure that your submission has been received, please follow-up and resend if you do not receive an acknowledgement of receipt via email from Roseanne Jones within two (2) business days. The final Host/Technical Co-Sponsor selection will be approved by PES/IAS as required by policy. A meeting to assess and determine the final selection is expected to be held by mid September 2017. WE WELCOME ANY AND ALL QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS! Please contact: Dr. Urenna Onyewuchi Chair of the IEEE PES/IAS PowerAfrica Steering Committee Email: urenna.p.o@ieee.org 6
On-Site Management Support On-Site Assistance CONFERENCE MANAGEMENT IEEE PES/IAS POWERAFRICA CONFERENCE Statement of Work On site staffing requirements are based on: scheduled concurrent events occurring in multiple locations, the various needs for those events and the availability/willingness of either committee members or volunteers to oversee those events. It is recommended that either a trained staff member, committee member and/or volunteer be assigned to each location where a major event or multiple small events are taking place. The Steering Committee Chair and the committee will have the final decision in that regard. The Conference Manager will assist in making an appropriate decision as called upon by the Steering Committee Chair to do so. Projected Statement of Work LOGISTICS PREPLANNNG/COORDINATION & NEGOTIATION The Conference Manager will work with volunteer leaders and designees to plan all aspects of the event. The Conference Manager will serve as the direct liaison with all vendors and venues, sales and management staff to communicate the needs of the group. Initial consultation and introduction with committee to develop an agreed upon joint timeline incorporating key milestones based on conference needs. Coordinate/attend steering committee meetings (as needed, either in person or via conference call). Consistent and timely communication with the committee and designees throughout the planning stage of the conference. Negotiate best contract terms for the venue on behalf of the Conference as directed by the Steering Committee Chair. Any site visit must be pre-approved by the Steering Committee Chair. 7
Upon completion of contract negotiations and changes to IEEE templates and review by Steering Committee Chair/Conference Chair, venue contract will be turned over to IEEE Contract Management for final review and signature. Manage vendor contracts. Negotiate any required amendments to the contract to be approved and signed by the committee and IEEE Procurement on a timely basis. Arrange meeting rooms setups. Detail each room utilized by the conference with regards to set-up, A/V, sound and food & beverage. Arrange for and manage all food functions. Select menu in coordination with chair or designee. Arrange for and manage audio visual requirements. Maintain close liaison with hotel as necessary to communicate changes in group requirements (e.g. guest block, meeting space, food & beverage, network, social, upgrades, etc.). Serve as direct liaison for the committee, vendors, and venues, minimizing the possibility of details being overlooked. Work with general chair or designee on providing instructions for VIPs, complimentary room assignments, special event coordination, VIP seating, etc. Provide billing instructions and all other pre-conference pertinent information, as required by committee and coordinated with finance chair for payment. Assist technical program chairs in determining meeting room requirements, speaker s prep room, and assigning rooms for technical sessions. Order all necessary signage contract vendor, design, oversee production and printing of signage including but not limited to breakout meetings, technical sessions, directions, social events, registration and banners. Arrange for onsite communication provisions, if necessary. Arrange for shipping and storage. Conduct pre-conference meeting (via teleconference or other as approved by Chair) with the chair and key conference volunteers. Conduct pre-conference meetings (via teleconference or other as approved by Chair) with the hotel/convention center to confirm and review of conference in detail. 8
Ensure steering committee room (if applicable) arrangements including phones, two-way radios, computers (with DSL or equivalent), copiers, printers (networked to computers), during hours of operation. Coordinate with the photographer and manage all requested photographs as directed by committee (if applicable). Work with the conference committee to develop a transportation plan (if applicable). Monitor expense levels report deviations or possible budget variances. Provide status reports to the conference chair or designee leading up to the event. Provide an updated detailed report of the group s history, pick-up, and meeting room requirements and spend at the end of the event. ON-SITE LOGISTICALMANAGMENT Conference Manager will work with volunteers to ensure that all operational tasks are completed during the event. Committee will provide a workforce of able volunteers for various activities. Conference Manager will meet with vendor and venue staffs, prior to the conference to confirm and review all final decisions and logistics. During the conference, the conference manager will serve as the direct liaison with all vendor and venue, management, and operations staffs to ensure the needs of the conference are met including, but not limited to: Estimated six days of Onsite Planner (Monday Saturday). Monitor and provide guidance for all scheduled functions, including social/hospitality. Monitor food & beverage functions. Keep an eye on levels of consumption, order more if necessary with concurrence of the chair or designee, and advise of possible budget variances. Food and beverage cost is to be minimized, but should not diminish attendee experience. Set up and maintain committee operations room, if necessary. Secure and maintain storage space for signage, audio visual, and other conference materials not secured in registration area. Handle crisis and emergency management in conjunction with facility staff. 9
Ensure all contract obligations are met by all parties. Serve as direct liaison between committee and hotel/convention center staff/vendors. Track shipping for all known deliveries. Ensure correct signage placement. Field requests and complaints of key volunteers, Review final hotel room pick up report daily. Review food & beverage invoices daily. Monitor session area and other contracted space to ensure room arrangements, food & beverage and audio visual are being provided according to contract. Meet with the hotel/convention center daily to review prior day s charges and next day s changes, including banquet event orders. Review and approve or deny as needed. Reconcile and approve all invoices to ensure accuracy prior to submitting for payment. Inspect meeting room layouts for set-up and audio visual before each session or meeting. Monitor audio visual contractual performance. Rent appropriate equipment for speaker prep room in coordination with the audio visual contractor. Ensure that all close-down and mail back procedures are planned and implemented to leave the venue as contracted. Upon conclusion of the conference, the Conference Manager will work with volunteers to document key functions of the conference including successes and lessons learned. Listed below are examples: Compose a summary report of meeting for file and committee review. Conduct post-conference meetings with executive committee and conference volunteers. 10
Conduct post-conference meetings with hotel/convention center. Prepare a final financial report summarizing all budgets, actual costs, outstanding expenses, and budget variances. FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT Examples of bonded financial management services the Conference Manager will provide to the conference. Particulars will be worked out by Steering Committee. Provide guidance and assistance to the conference treasurer. Provide credit applications and applicable tax exception forms. Review all invoices to ensure accuracy prior to payment. Submit payment for committee approved invoices. Maintain financial records of Conference Manager activity. Provide monthly cumulative report (summary and transactions) of financial status to conference treasurer (Conference Manager activity). Record retention for reconciliation and/or audit purposes. Assist in submission of year end accruals to IEEE Conference Services (to meet IEEE obligations for conference not closed by the end of the year) as requested by treasurer. Prepare financial reports re: all expenses coordinated by the Conference Manager; Assist Treasured in closing activities as requested including provision of support for the required audit. 11